JAGUAR Land Rover's plan to create hundreds of new jobs in the Coventry and Warwickshire area has been greeted with widespread delight.

Up to 600 jobs are being created in the Midlands as part of the company's plans to spearhead the development of a new generation of ecofriendly vehicles.

Most of them will be shared between its sites in Whitley in Coventry and Gaydon in Warwickshire.

The company's announcement yesterday that it plans to recruit engineers to work on exciting new technology and product development programmes has come following its £1billion takeover by Tata.

There are also a significant number of key vacancies in purchasing, finance and human resources.

Alan Durham, a director of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the news provided a further boost for the automotive industry in the area.

"Tata's purchase of Jaguar Land Rover was widely welcomed but there was some caution over what it actually meant for this region," he said.

"The two brands are synonymous with this area and I believe this announcement shows that the company is determined to maintain its presence here and, in fact, enhance it.

"Naturally, the creation of 600 new jobs in the region is certain to provide an economic boost but when you see the quality of jobs being created, it is even better news.

"These are to be high-end, engineering posts and that is extremely positive. It should provide a lift to the whole area.

Chamber president Darren Jones added: "It shows that Tata are putting their money where their mouth is."

Deputy leader of Coventry City Council Cllr Kevin Foster (Con, Cheylesmore), also welcomed the news, saying it was a "shot in the arm" for the city.

Chris Clifford, regional director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) West Midlands, said: "It's got to be extremely good news.

"The only down side is the kind of engineers Jaguar Land Rover will be looking for are in short supply."

Jaguar Land Rover is investing £700million in sustainable technologies to improve the environmental performance of its vehicles and is looking for experienced, degree educated engineers to work in product development on ground-breaking projects.

In addition, Jaguar Land Rover is launching a graduate programme for more than 80 graduates who will join the business in September.